Polish Secretary of State at the Ministry of National Defense Cezary Tomczyk told Polish news outlet Radio ZET on Wednesday, May 29 that Poland supports Ukraine’s right to use weapons provided by Warsaw to strike targets inside Russia. He said Ukraine “can fight however they want”.
“We decided to help Ukraine in the conflict, Ukraine was brutally attacked, so it has the right to defend itself as it sees fit,” said Tomczyk. He also called on other allies to lift the restrictions placed on Kyiv that prevents its troops from engaging military targets in Russian with the weapons they have provided.
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Tomczyk also said Warsaw would continue to supply Kyiv with the military aid it needs to defend itself.
“Poland has already made 44 donations to Ukraine, we are preparing [the 45th]… In total, the value in terms of donations is 15-20 billion Polish złoty ($3.8-5 billion),” he said, adding that Poland’s defense budget is at a historical high and is expected to reach 4 percent of its GDP next year.
However, it’s not clear if the upcoming donation includes weaponry, which might indicate a change in Warsaw’s stance on weapons transfers to Ukraine, a move its former Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said was suspended in September 2023.
Previously Poland transferred a number of tanks, fighter aircraft and helicopters alongside artillery guns and short-range missiles to Ukraine, according to the military analysis site Oryx. However, it’s not clear whether it has provided Ukraine with long-range weapons capable of deep strikes inside Russia.
ISW Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, June 29, 2024
Tomczyk said there is “no such idea or discussion” to send Polish troops to Ukraine at present, though he did not rule out the possibility in the future.
Tomczyk’s statement on strikes inside Russia echoed that of Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski, who recently told British news outlet The Guardian that Poland supports Ukraine’s right to strike military targets inside Russia using weapons it has donated, calling on its allies to do the same.
Kyiv has repeatedly requested allies to lift restrictions on striking within Russian territory with weaponry they have provided, a view supported by NATO General Secretary Jens Stoltenberg in a recent statement.
While countries such as the UK and France have voiced their support for the notion, others such as Germany and Italy remain opposed to the idea for fear of potential escalation.
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